Tom’s Bio

Tom was born in South Buffalo. He was raised South Buffalo and Clarence, New York, and Newport Beach, California.

He won full scholarships to Beloit College in Wisconsin and the Juilliard School (under Alan Schneider) at Lincoln Center. Later he trained with Edith Skinner, Cicely Berry and Kristin Linklater. He also trained with Stella Adler, at her invitation. Tom went on to play over fifty classical and contemporary roles at theaters around the world. In addition to full seasons at Baltimore Center Stage, The American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, The Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts, and the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, he has also performed at UBU Repertory, Theater for the New City, the Riverside Shakespeare Company in New York, The Hangar Theater in Ithaca, and Yale.

Television appearances include the mini-series A WOMAN NAMED JACKIE (also co-writer, Emmy Best Mini-Series), and NORTH AND SOUTH PART III (also co-writer, starring Peter O’Toole). Episodic work includes ALL MY CHILDREN, LOIS AND CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, ARLI$$, and STAR TREK: VOYAGER (with Joel Grey). Film credits include; TURBULENCE, ETHAN FROME, LEAP OF FAITH, TIN CUP, PLAY IT TO THE BONE, DARK BLUE, EL PADRINO, EASY (TORONTO AND SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVALS) and HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE (with Harrison Ford).

Tom was one of the producers of, and acted in, COBB (with Tommy Lee Jones), which had a Benefit performance in Buffalo at Shea’s Performing Arts Center where the mayor presented him with the key to the city. He produced and directed WORKING SHAKESPEARE: RSC MEETS USA, (a broadcast series), featuring Jeremy Irons, Emily Watson, Lindsay Duncan, Toby Stephens, other members of the Royal Shakespeare with US actors Helen Hunt, Samuel L. Jackson, Claire Danes, Blythe Danner, Robert Sean Leonard, Cherry Jones, Victor Garber, Diane Venora, and others. Tom also directed Jimmy Buffet’s worldwide concert tour for seven years.

Tom also enjoys a career as a voice, speech and acting coach and has taught Liam Neeson, Rene Russo, Bob Hoskins, Lolita Davidovich, Robert Wagner, Tony Goldwyn, Brendan Gleeson, Sasha Alexander, Lukas Haas, and many others. Tom has been coaching and directing actors for Theater, Film and Television for over thirty-eight years. He has enjoyed a long association with Larry Moss [Director/Acting Coach/Author: “The Intent to Live”] and worked closely with Michael Shurtleff [Playwright/Author: “Audition”, Casting Director for Mike Nichols and Bob Fosse] for fifteen years. Tom also teaches directing in the Graduate Film School program at USC and regularly lectures at Harvard University in The School of Slavic Languages and Literature and at The Harvard Business School.

His Executive Producing projects include: Telefilms for CBS; BORROWED HEARTS (the number one rated program for the week), starring Roma Downey, Eric McCormack, and Hector Elizondo, MONDAY AFTER THE MIRACLE with Ms. Downey, Billy Campbell, and Moira Kelly, THE TEST OF LOVE (the network’s top rated Wednesday film for 1999) also with Ms. Downey, SECOND HONEYMOON with Ms. Downey, Tim Matheson, and Michael Nouri, THE SONS OF MISTLETOE with Ms. Downey and Doris Roberts, and THE SURVIVORS CLUB with Ms. Downey, Jacqueline Bisset and James Remar.

Other feature films as Producer/Actor; NO VACANCY with Christina Ricci, Timothy Olyphant, Robert Wagner, Lolita Davidovich, Joaquim DeAlmeida and Patricia Velasquez (premiered at The Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and subsequently; The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, The Festival do Rio de Janeiro (held over), Raindance (London), and The Moscow Film Festival; (First Place Best Debut Film), and for Showtime; NORIEGA: GOD’S FAVORITE, with Bob Hoskins, directed by Roger Spottiswoode.

Tom’s projects in development include numerous texts with writer/director Ron Shelton. Tom is a member of SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity Association, The Producers Guild of America, The American Dialect Society, The Linguistic Society of America, The Voice and Speech Trainers Association, The Creative Coalition, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Tom opened the first actor training program in the history of the United Arab Emirates in Dubai and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He teaches actors and directors at his Two-Year Conservatory and weekly class in New York City as well as at his studios world-wide in over twenty-six cities, five countries. Tom resides in New York City, Santa Monica, California and Weston, Connecticut. Tom is an avid surfer, cyclist, marksman, football fanatic, Beatlemaniac, Led Zeppelinite, rock & roll drummer and dog lover. He is left-handed.